The present invention relates to stable instrument tables and benches with precision surfaces, and more particularly to instrument tables and benches where the precision surface is created by the technique of replication.
There are many applications which require a stable instrument table that is not subject to vibrations which have a precision surface where close alignment tolerances are required. The fields of optics, tool making, and the design of large high speed X-Y stages are three such areas. The use of a machined or ground slab of granite is traditionally used for these applications, however, the costs of machining and grinding a large table, say five feet by seven feet, as a base for large high speed X-Y stages is very high. For smaller tables the cost of granite is also several times higher than the cost of a concrete table with a replicated surface of the present invention. The costs quickly become prohibitive to use a granite slab as the size of the bench grows. Additionally, if the granite slab is to be used as part of an instrument bench, an exterior shell, or cabinet, is still required to form the remainder of the instrument bench.
It would be desirable to have a method for producing a large, precision instrument table or bench without having to machine or grind the surface of each instrument bench. The present invention provides a method for producing such a large, stable, precision surfaces instrument bench.